


Selfish Creature

by HyperKid



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bonding over spells, Fluff, Multi, Other, Post TravelerCon, Soft boys being soft, eternal self deprecation of Caleb Widogast, spoilers for c2e108
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26711521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperKid/pseuds/HyperKid
Summary: On the way away from Travelercon, Caleb finds himself walking with a mysterious stranger. Which can only be one person, frankly. That suits him fine; he’d like to have a word about certain spells he’s been given credit for.Aka adorable bonding between Artagan and Caleb over boosting their favourite blue cleric.
Relationships: Artagan/Caleb Widogast, Artagan/Caleb Widogast/Jester Lavorre, Background PolyNein, Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast/The Traveler, Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast/Traveler, hint of Widojest
Comments: 12
Kudos: 109





	Selfish Creature

**Author's Note:**

> HK: So I got through Travelercon!   
> Mollymauk: You did! Only a month after Matt!   
> HK: Oh hush you, I’ve been stressy.   
> Mollymauk: And you’ve not been solving it by writing me porn, so I’m going to tease you.   
> HK: .......... Okay I can’t argue with that, that’s what I should be doing.   
> Mollymauk: There’s still time, get to work.   
> HK: *snickering* Yeah, yeah, lemme get the crack out of my system first. It doesn’t help that I need to focus to listen at the moment, which means I can’t do it at work.   
> Mollymauk: Heavens forbid you focus on work!   
> HK: I’m gonna gag you in the porn.   
> Mollymauk: You’d miss my snark. You love it.   
> HK: ............. Yeah. Also! Not done 109 and on yet, so no spoilers for anyone here! Just someone who’s seen Talks let me know when Dani asks about Fjorester so I can skip it and keep my rage in check ^^ 
> 
> WARNINGS!! Mildest of Caleb warnings, that good self loathing boy 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one and I’m gonna ship what I like!

Caleb found himself falling behind as the Nein made their way down to the beach at Rumblecusp on that final day. Getting the ships out was just the beginning, but after that they’d be Teleporting to Nicodranas, and then... 

He wasn’t remotely upset to be shaken from those dark thoughts by a new figure slipping into place beside him. He didn’t immediately recognise them, which by now made him assume it must be Jester’s Traveler. This time Artagan was wearing a more homely halfling shape, dressed plainly in muted colours; Caleb assumed it was because he didn’t want to be noticed. 

It wasn’t as if the archfey ever had the slightest trouble getting noticed when he wanted to be. The fact that he’d fallen in at the back rather than joining up at Jester’s hip was interesting, especially when he wasn’t making any real attempt to hide from Caleb. 

They walked together in silence for a little while, the rest of the Nein chatting and laughing on ahead. Caleb glanced over a few times, but Artagan seemed happy just to watch. He could just imagine the kind of sinister scheming Fjord and Beau would have assigned to it, a slight smile tugging at his lips. 

After last night, seeing the archfey at his most vulnerable, he was felt like he was beginning to understand him a little more. He’d made a real effort to come and mend bridges with the Mighty Nein. Caleb just... couldn’t imagine him doing anything to upset Jester. 

He’d seen that look in the mirror a time too many. 

It was almost nice just walking together in relative silence. Having something to think about that wasn’t his worries for the future, without any of the pressure to make conversation. 

Artagan wasn’t quite as comfortable with quiet. Not remotely surprising really. After just a few minutes he gave Caleb a sidelong smile. 

“I wanted to thank you,” he said without preamble, his gaze flicking ahead to Jester. His smile softened just a little, fond in a way that made Caleb smile back. 

“You did last night,” he pointed out neutrally, his own eyes shifting to Jester’s back. The archfey made a dismissive noise that was almost a chuckle. 

“No, you personally. You did so much for our little event yesterday, and it wouldn’t have been the same without your personal touches.” 

Caleb’s cheeks flushed and he cleared his throat, surprised by how embarrassed he felt at the praise. It had been heaped on him most of the night, and surely from the Mighty Nein it meant a lot more than this virtual stranger? 

But then, he was almost getting used to praise from his friends. To dealing with their appreciation even if it did still feel unearned. Artagan wasn’t someone he’d consider a friend, but he also wasn’t some irrelevant stranger whose opinion could be ignored either. It left him in a strange limbo, not quite sure what relationship they had. 

He shrugged it off as best he could, gaze now fixed on bouncing blue hair. He had the feeling Artagan was grinning at him. 

“You put forth a most impressive display yourself. I’m sure you’d have managed,” he demurred, doing his best not to squirm in place. 

He could ~hear~ the smile in the archfey’s voice as he hummed gentle disagreement. 

“We made a good team. I’m surprised you didn’t tell her.” It sounded almost like teasing, but it still sent a spike of concern through Caleb’s chest. 

“She just... assumed, I think, and things happened so fast. I did not intend to take credit for your work.” 

But again, Artagan waved it away, chuckling softly. 

“Oh, I’m perfectly happy to share credit. You really put so much more thought into this than I did,” he said airily. 

Caleb half smiled back, not quite sure he trusted that. Artagan notably adored taking credit, being the center of attention, and being fawned over. It was how he’d accidentally formed a cult in the first place. 

And yet... here he was, at the back of the group, carefully remaining unnoticed. 

It was no surprise Caleb had put more thought into the entire event than Artagan ever had though. They’d pretty much all gotten that impression. 

Not waiting for a reply though, Artagan moved on. 

“You’ve been much more... receptive to my presence than any of your friends, even from our introduction. I don’t think I’ve shown my appreciation,” he trailed off, a sly grin on his face that almost tipped the line to innuendo. 

It must have been unintentional, Jester Lavorre’s best friend couldn’t possibly have made an innuendo so subtle. 

The thought pulled a soft chuckle of his own to Caleb’s lips and he shook his head, giving the archfey a more genuine smile. 

“You don’t need to. You are obviously very important to Jester, and she is very important to me. And you have done nothing to hurt us.” He was willing to take Artagan at his word that he hadn’t expected them to fight Vokodo. 

Frankly, with Travelercon fresh in his memory, he couldn’t quite believe the archfey had had a plan that complex to deal with his followers. His planning skills seemed to be... alright, still slightly better than the Mighty Nein’s, since he’d gotten most of the way through his plan before it failed. 

Not abandoning it immediately upon arrival was pretty much all it took at the moment. The part of Caleb that over analysed everything hated it, but they just... weren’t planning people. Jester’s lack clearly came at least partially from Artagan’s influence, but she wasn’t the worst of them. 

Beside him, Artagan hummed a softer agreement, a rough hand brushing Caleb’s ever so briefly. 

“Still. Good will is rather a rarity for me, and I do appreciate it. We do good work together.” His face turned to follow Jester again, his smile stretching from amusement back into something... soft. Fond. It looked almost unnatural on swarthy features still touched with archfey sharpness. 

Letting his own eyes drift back to their tiefling, Caleb felt his own smile soften. 

“For her,” he agreed quietly, reaching out just enough to brush the back of his hand across Artagan’s in return. 

“Of course,” Artagan agreed at once, easily, just like he always did when one of them reminded him just how special Jester was. Like he’d never even considered it could be in doubt. 

Part of Caleb had to wonder if maybe... just maybe, together, they might be able to show Jester just what they saw in her. He loathed seeing all that self doubt reflected in her sweet blue face. 

They walked together in silence for a moment, still following along. Caleb half wondered how long Artagan would be able to keep it up. The fey’s hands already seemed twitchy. But he did have a question, so he took pity on him fairly quickly. 

“Would you like me to tell her what you did and what I did?” He asked, half an eye on the archfey’s borrowed face. He wasn’t quite sure how much he trusted it to show his actual expressions, but right now it was all he had. 

From what he could see, the question surprised Artagan a little. He looked just a bit confused, his own eyes darting up to Caleb to work out where the question came from. Then he grinned, shaking his head and giving the wizard a casual slap on the ass. 

“Not at all. She knows all kinds of things that I can do. Your abilities are much more new and exciting for her. And maybe you can work out how I did it.” There was more than a hint of challenge in that grin now, a brow rising as he looked up at Caleb. 

Who’d tried his best not to jump out of his skin at the slap, but had the strong suspicion he’d still jumped enough to be noticed. Shaking his head, he grinned back. It was just... so hard to be intimidated by Artagan now. He was just Jester’s weird, eccentric friend. 

And if he thought Caleb had half a chance of learning his magic... 

Raising his chin in his best haughty archmage impression, Caleb schooled the grin down. 

“I’m sure that I can.” And he watched Artagan laugh, this time expecting the gentle pat more at hip height, since the archfey couldn’t have reached his shoulder. Not in this shape. 

“I like you, Caleb. Perhaps we’ll be seeing more of each other in future.” 

Caleb’s gaze slipped sideways, this time seeking out Beauregard. The monk was far in front, leading the way through the jungle and on watch for dinosaurs of all kinds. Currently unaware of their new companion. Probably for the best. 

“That... may not be the best idea,” he said dryly. Artagan followed his gaze, past Jester and onto the back of a dark head, and snorted most of a laugh through his nose. 

“Oh, I don’t know. You don’t think she’ll warm up to me?” He teased, the lilt in his voice firmly indicating he didn’t believe it either. 

Shaking his head, Caleb grinned again. 

“I think she will punch you again. Probably a lot.” 

“You don’t know I’m not into that.” 

That startled a laugh from Caleb, but by the time he’d glanced back down, the archfey was gone. Not hugely surprising, although he hadn’t expected to be just a little... disappointed. 

That shouldn’t have been any kind of surprise either. This was Jester’s teacher after all, the same one who’d likely formed her into her cheerful, gregarious self. Easy company, snarky, funny, and always ready with a joke. 

It was so easy to see his shadows in her face now, that mischievous grin almost identical between them. Caleb had to wonder just how much Jester had rubbed off on him too. 

Enough to persuade the Moonweaver. 

Enough for a selfish, self centred creature like an archfey to sacrifice himself to keep her safe. 

Caleb wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. He had no doubt that that had been the only thing which stayed the goddess’s hand. Never mind that they had been there specifically to wind the cult down; her champion hadn’t cared in the slightest until he’d kicked Jester away from him. 

Whatever fate had awaited him on his own plane, it was bad enough he’d do anything to flee it. Bad enough he wouldn’t let her face it alongside him, not even knowing that she had her own powerful friends who may come to rescue them both. 

Just the kind of empathy, of selflessness that had never been associated with an archfey in any book Caleb had read. Almost without thinking about it, Caleb found himself watching Jester again. 

She all but floated through the wood, bouncy and light with the weight of Travlercon off her shoulders. Laughing, joking, glowing with relief now that everything was over. He’d meant what he said, all those weeks ago; she changed people. Effortlessly, without ever even thinking about it. 

Maybe that was why Caleb felt... not exactly kinship, but that he understood Artagan. He knew what it was to be a selfish, unworthy creature, and to pass accidentally into her radiance. To feel the world opening up around him. 

To want to be worthy of her faith. 

They’d lifted her up together, Artagan more literally, but wasn’t that just like an archfey? Dramatic and showy, always over the top. Stifling a snicker, Caleb shook his head. Every word he might use to describe Artagan, he was well aware he’d use them for himself. 

If he was feeling generous. But perhaps, if Jester could reform an archfey to the standards of a goddess... there was just the faintest chance that she could help him, too. That he could spend the rest of his life working, and finally, one day, be worthy of her love. The same love she’d shower on him every day, the love she showed all of them in a thousand ways. 

The love that would have taken her away who knew where, to face a punishment too terrible for her own god. It was more intimidating than usual now that he’d seen the real limits of her devotion. 

She didn’t fucking have one. 

And Caleb didn’t know if he’d ever be strong enough to kick her off. 

**Author's Note:**

> HK: I’ve got some more short crack in the works that should be out soon, so hopefully I won’t be gone long! Lots of love, everyone!


End file.
